Peanut and Other Food Allergies:
From Diagnosis to Desensitization
Jeffrey M. Factor MD
Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics
University of CT School of Medicine
March 29, 2012
Food Allergies: Epidemiology
• Prevalence of food allergy has increased by 18% in
past 15 yrs (4 million school-aged children)
• Peanut allergy in US has tripled (0.4% to 1.4%)
from 1997 to 2008
• Food allergy is now most common cause of
anaphylaxis presenting to emergency departments
• Hospitalizations have increased 3-fold in past
decade in US
• Fatalities do occur (~150-200/yr) majority due to
peanut/tree nuts
Hospital Discharges w/
DX of Food Allergy
Adverse Reactions to Food
A. Non-immunologic
Toxic Reactions
• Bacterial food
poisoning
• Scromboid fish
poisoning
• Caffeine
• Alcohol
• Histamine
Non-Toxic Reactions






Lactose Intolerance
Galactosemia
Pancreatic insufficiency
Gustatory rhinitis
Anorexia Nervosa
Idiosyncratic
Adverse Reactions to Food
B. Immune Mechanisms-A Spectrum
IgE-Mediated
• Systemic
(Anaphylaxis)
• Oral Allergy
Syndrome
• Hives
• Immediate GI
allergy
Non-IgE Mediated



Eosinophilic 
Esophagitis
(EoE) or

Gastroenteritis 
(EG)

Atopic

dermatitis
Protein-Induced
Enterocolitis (FPIES)
Celiac Disease
Enteropathy
Infant Proctocolitis
Dermatitis Herpetiformis
N Engl J Med
Vol. 346, No 17
N Engl J Med
Vol. 346, No. 17
IgE-Mediated Food Allergy
Signs and Symptoms
SKIN
Hives/angioedema
Flushing
Papular red rash
Pruritis
GASTROINTESTINAL
Itching or swelling of
lips, tongue, mouth
Nausea
Vomiting or reflux
Abdominal cramping
Diarrhea
IgE-Mediated Food Allergy
Signs and Symptoms
RESPIRATORY
Mild-Congestion,
itching, sneezing,
runny nose, cough
Severe-Laryngeal
edema, hoarseness,
drooling, wheezing,
shortness of breath,
CARDIOVASCULAR
Feeling of faintness
Syncope
Tachycardia or
bradycardia
Hypotension/shock
Arrhythmias
Robby
8-year-old with peanut allergy since age 2 yrs. At age 2, he
developed hives around the mouth and swelling after
eating peanut candy. At age 6, he had a generalized rash
and some difficulty breathing after eating a few bites of a
peanut candy. At age 8, he developed an itchy mouth and
lower lip swelling after eating a piece of chocolate candy
(not known to contain peanut) which resolved by itself
without any treatment.
What would your prescribed Anaphylaxis
Emergency Action Plan be for Robby?
1.
Liquid diphenhydramine at start of next reaction; watch
for 20 minutes; if it worsens, call 911.
2.
Use self-injectable epinephrine at the start of the next
reaction, even if only mild symptoms, and call 911.
3.
Do nothing; the reaction will go away by itself.
4.
Drive to the ER but have the self-injectable epinephrine
ready for use in case things get worse.
What would your prescribed Anaphylaxis
Emergency Action Plan be for Robby?
1.
Liquid diphenhydramine at start of next reaction; watch for 20
minutes; if it worsens, call 911.
2. Use self-injectable epinephrine at the start
of the next reaction, even if only mild
symptoms, and call 911.
3.
Do nothing; the reaction will go away by itself.
4.
Drive to the ER but have the self-injectable epinephrine ready for
Food Anaphylaxis
• Definition: an acute systemic allergic
reaction that is potentially fatal
• The opposite of prophylaxis “without or
against protection”
• Onset of symptoms seconds to minutes (up
to 2 hrs) following ingestion
• Prior reactions may have been milder
• Very unpredictable in its clinical
presentation and outcome
Patterns of Anaphylaxis
•
Uniphasic
– Rapid onset, symptoms resolve within hours
of treatment
• Biphasic
– Symptoms resolve after treatment but return
between 1 and 72 hours later (usually 1-3
hours)
• Protracted
– Symptoms do not resolve with treatment and
may last >24 hours
Lieberman, 2004
Uniphasic Anaphylaxis
Treatment
Initial
Symptoms
0
Antigen Exposure
Time
Biphasic Anaphylaxis
Treatment
Initial
Symptoms
Treatment
1-8 hours
0
Antigen
Exposure
SecondPhase
Symptoms
Classic Model
1-72 hours
New Evidence
Time
Protracted Anaphylaxis
Initial
Symptoms
Time
0
Antigen
Exposure
Possibly >24 hours
Features of Fatal/Near Fatal Reactions
in Children (Sampson et al, NEJM, 1992)
• Known allergy to causative food
• Did not ask about ingredients, were misinformed
or incorrect labeling of product
• Injectable epinephrine not carried or administered
in a timely fashion
• Co-morbidity: asthma
• Skin reactions (hives, swelling) were not present
in most cases
Treatment: Epinephrine
• Treats all symptoms of anaphylaxis and prevents
progression (antihistamines DO NOT)
• Intramuscular injection in lateral thigh produces
most rapid rise in blood level
– 0.01 mg/kg in children, 0.3-0.5 mg in adults
• Patients who receive epinephrine and have
symptoms other than hives should be lying down
with feet elevated
• Up to 20% of time, more than one dose needed
• Newer recommendations: have 2 devices
Side Effects of Epinephrine
• Tachycardia
• Tremor
• Pain at injection site
• Nausea
• Vomiting
IM vs SQ Epinephrine
Intramuscular
epinephrine
+
-
8
(Epipen®)
2 minutes
Subcutaneous
epinephrine
34
+
-
14 (5 – 120) minutes
p < 0.05
0
10
20
30
40
Time to Cmax after injection (minutes)
Simons: J Allergy Clin Immunol 113:838, 2004
Additional Treatment of
Anaphylaxis
• Oxygen
• Fluid replacement (10-20 cc/kg)
• H-1 antagonists (eg. Diphenhydramine) and
H-2 antagonists (eg. Ranitidine)
• Corticosteroids-but no proven benefit
• Severe cases: IV epinephrine, vasopressors
• Observe for 4-24 hrs after initial symptoms
have subsided
High Risk Population:
Adolescents
• More likely to eat meals and snacks outside
the home
• More likely not to carry their epinephrine
autoinjector on their person
• Take more chances with food…do not think
about mortality
• Keep their food allergy issues to themselves
• Are afraid to use their epinephrine
autoinjector-less empowered
Kaitlyn
14-year-old with spring allergic rhinitis who
complains of mouth itching and lip swelling every
time she eats an apple. Also, complains of similar
symptoms with peaches, cherries and raw carrots.
Mom thinks she is “making it up.”
The Most Likely Diagnosis Is
1. Child is a Hypochondriac
2. Oral allergy syndrome
3. Celiac Disease
4. Systemic Food Allergy (early
symptoms)
Oral Allergy Syndrome
(Pollen/Food Allergy Syndrome)
• Very common form of IgE-mediated food allergy
• Occur in 40%-50% of pollen allergic individuals
• Itching of lips, mouth, throat due to cross-reacting
proteins in pollen and fruit
• Uncommon to progress to severe reactions but
occasionally occurs (throat tightness/hoarseness
are not mild symptoms)
• Treatment: heating, peeling fruit or avoidance
during pollen season, immunotherapy (allergy
shots to related pollen) may lessen reactions
Oral Allergy Syndrome
Examples:
Pollen
Birch
Ragweed
Grass
Foods
Apple, peach, cherry, kiwi, plum,
hazelnut and almond
Banana, melon, watermelon
Carrot, celery, peach, potato, tomato
Food-dependent Exercise-induced
Anaphylaxis
• Requires food ingestion followed by exercise to
occur
• Anaphylaxis occurs when patient exercises within
2 to 4 hours of ingesting a food
• Can be a specific food (common examples: celery,
shellfish, wheat) or could be ANY food
• Females>Males (2:1) more in teens, young adults
• Management: Identifying specific foods, if
possible, avoiding exercise after eating, and
carrying epinephrine during vigorous activity
Factors which may increase risk of
allergic reactions
• Preparation: roasting vs. boiling of peanuts
• Chemical properties of food: heat stable vs.
heat labile proteins (the oral allergy
syndrome)
• Concurrent viral illness esp. w/fever
• Medications: beta blockers, ACE inhibitors
increase anaphylaxis risk
• Alcohol consumption
Disorders Not Proven to be Related to
Food Allergy
• Migraines
• Behavioral / Developmental
disorders
• Arthritis
• Seizures
• Inflammatory bowel disease
Diagnosis: History / Physical
• History: symptoms, timing, reproducibility
– Acute reactions vs chronic disease
• Diet details: specific causal food(s) or hidden
ingredients
• Physical examination: look for other allergic
conditions (eczema, asthma)
• Identify the type of reaction:
– Is it food related at all?
– Allergy or intolerance?
– IgE type reaction or non-IgE type reaction?
Diagnosis: Laboratory Evaluation
• Suspect IgE-mediated (allergy)
– Prick skin tests
– ImmunoCAP /RAST test (IgE levels in blood)
• Suspect non-IgE-mediated
– Allergic gastrointestinal conditions
-- Elimination diets may be helpful
• Suspect not allergic, consider: lactose
intolerance, toxic reactions, celiac disease
(gluten-sensitivity)
Skin Testing
• Provide rapid screening for sensitivity to
allergens
• Less discomfort and cost compared to blood
tests
• Size of skin test may be helpful in
predicting likelihood of reacting
• Negative skin tests strongly suggest the
absence of IgE-mediated allergy
• May need to skin test with fresh foods
Blood Tests for Foods
• ImmunoCAP/RAST test measure specific
IgE antibody levels to different foods in the
blood
• Are helpful in predicting whether an
allergic reaction will occur
• High levels less likely to outgrow allergy
• Newer blood tests (component diagnostics)
should be able to predict the severity of the
allergy (eg. peanut-Ara h 2 vs Ara h 8)
Limitations of Tests
• Blood test ‘screening’ not advised because may lead to
unnecessary or harmful dietary restriction which can frustrate
and confuse parents/patients
• Size of skin test and numerical value (ie. absolute # or level
I-IV) of the blood test do not predict severity of the clinical
reaction
• A blood test level of <0.35Ku/L is not necessarily negative, but
rather the lowest level that the assay can measure
• Patients can have food reactions with levels of <0.35Ku/L
• So false positives and false negatives do occur and these tests
must be looked upon in the context of the history
812 Sampson
J Allergy Clin Immunol May 2004
Oral Food Challenge
• The definitive test for food allergy diagnosis
• Identify what foods can be safely consumed when
there are many positive skin or blood tests
• To try foods suspected of causing allergic
reactions despite negative testing
• To monitor patients who have food allergies
which are more likely to be outgrown
• Performed under close supervision (with
emergency medications and equipment
immediately available to manage reactions)
Why is there more food allergy?
• Genetics: peanut allergy 7x greater in sibs of high
risk children, 64% in identical twins
• Earlier exposure of peanut in childhood may
associated w/lower prevalence of PN allergy
• Vitamin D deficiency: Lower levels due to less
sunlight may be responsible for increase in allergy
in temperate areas (evidence: more Epi Rx written
in northeast US than in south, more eczema too)
• Hygiene hypothesis: Birth by CS associated with
increase risk of food allergy (bacterial exposure
during vaginal delivery may be protective)
Consequences of A Food Allergy
Diagnosis
• Special precautions required at home, schools,
restaurants, friends/relatives, on vacations, etc.
• The need for stringent dietary restrictions
• Difficulty comprehending food labels
• The continual threat of accidental ingestions
• The risk of severe or fatal reactions
• Significant anxiety, psychosocial stress, and
economic burden
Standard of Care for Food Allergy
• Every food (esp peanuts and tree nuts)
allergic reaction has possibility of
developing into life-threatening reaction
• May depend upon how much of the food
is eaten, other ‘co-factors’
• Long-standing principle of complete
avoidance of even minute exposures and
ready access to self-injectable
epinephrine.
Natural History of Food Allergy
• Most children w/ food allergies will eventually tolerate
milk, egg & wheat (many not until teenage years)
• Peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish usually not
outgrown
• High initial allergen blood test numbers associated with
lower rate of outgrowing the food allergy
• Resolution of atopic dermatitis may be a useful marker
for food allergy tolerance
• Skin tests to food can remain positive after tolerance has
developed, but a decrease in size may be indicator of loss
of allergy
Effect of Cooking & Digestion
on Food Proteins
M
I
M
I
L
1
K
M
I
L
L
K
K
Processing
K
L
2
Children who “outgrow” milk or allergy will often tolerate
baked-milk or baked-egg products
M
I
Treatment of Food Allergies:
Recent Approaches
• I Allergen non-specific treatment
1) Anti-IgE therapy (an injection every few weeks of
a monoclonal antibody which binds to and blocks
IgE)
2) Chinese Herbs (inhibits food anaphylaxis in mice,
studies in humans ongoing)
• II Allergen-specific treatment
(directed at individual foods)
1) Oral immunotherapy (OIT)
2) Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT)
3) Epicutaneous patch
Does strict avoidance speed resolution?
• For years, recommendation was that strict
avoidance was best for tolerance to develop
• Principle that lack of exposure will result in
deletion of immunologic memory
• Many children do outgrow food allergy
when instructed to avoid exposure
• The concern that accidental ingestions can
delay /prevent tolerance development
• Maybe this concept is NOT
ACCURATE……
Does avoidance trigger increased
reactivity?
• 7 children who tolerated fish but were instructed to
avoid based on positive skin tests. After 2 years of
avoidance/reintroduction induced acute reactions in
all 7 children.
• Case report of teenage girl who died from milk
protein anaphylaxis due to loss of tolerance from milk
avoidance diet.
• Late onset peanut allergy developing in adults who
were told to avoid based on positive tests
• Peanut recurrence rate ~8%. Seems to affects
patients who avoid peanut after resolution of allergy
Recent data has challenged the
long-standing idea of strict
avoidance, instead, attempting
to incorporate small amounts of
the food into the diet.
BAKED GOODS
Changing from Avoidance to Limited Diet
• 70% of children with egg allergy and 75% of
children with milk allergy tolerate these foods
in baked goods
• Recent studies show ability to eat foods with
heated milk/ baked in egg are good prognostic
indicators of tolerance
• Regular ingestion associated with decrease
skin test size
• Studies suggest regular ingestion may induce
tolerance (loss of allergy)
Focus on Treatment
of Peanut Allergy
• Only about 15-20% will outgrow peanut
allergy
• Accidental exposures are common
• Diagnosis has significant adverse effects on
quality of life
• Allergic reactions becoming more severe: ER
visits and hospitalizations
• Currently can’t reliably predict severity of the
allergy using skin and blood tests
• Oral immunotherapy (OIT) an emerging option
Kurihara K. Allergol Int 2010; 59: 9-14.
ORAL DESENSITIZE
Desensitization – change in threshold dose of
food needed to cause an allergic reaction while
on ongoing therapy
TO INDUCE
ORAL TOLERANCE.
Tolerance – resolution of allergy without
ongoing treatment
Historical Case
• 1908 – “ A Case of Egg Poisoning” –
Schofield described case of 13 y/o boy who
had severe egg allergy; treated w/ daily pill
containing raw egg starting w/ 1/10,000th of
an egg; 8 months later, could eat whole egg
• First case reports of oral desensitization
appeared ~20 years ago.
Case Report of Peanut
Oral Desensitization
• 2006 – Letter to Editor:
6 y/o girl with severe peanut allergy, RAST
>100 IU underwent oral desensitization;
Goal: to ensure that child would not have
reaction to unintentional modest exposures not
to make her eats peanuts as a normal food
Final dosing was 2 whole peanuts twice daily
Mansfield L. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2006; 97: 266-7.
Peanut OIT Study
• 4 severely peanut allergic boys, aged 9-13 y/o,
underwent oral immunotherapy (OIT)
• OIT was administered as peanut flour from 5 to 800
mg (1/2 tsp peanut butter)
• Challenges done in medical facility/doses were taken
at home once daily x 2 weeks
• Continued on 800 mg for additional 6 weeks; 3
tolerated 12 peanuts, 1 tolerated 9 peanuts
• Children continued to take 1/2 tsp peanut butter or 5
peanuts as maintenance
Clark AT, et al. Allergy 2009; 64: 1218-20.
Peanut Oral Immunotherapy –
Duke /Univ of Arkansas
• Multi-center group studying children with
peanut allergies, double-blinded placebocontrolled
• 29 children <16 y/o w/ peanut allergy
• Protocol: 3-phases: initial dose escalation
day, buildup phase, home dosing phase
followed by oral food challenges
• Goal: Daily maintenance dose of 300 mg of
peanut protein
Hofman AM, et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2009; 124: 286-91.
Peanut OIT resulted in
clinical desensitization
• 27/29 children reached the total peanut dose; 1
stopped due to parent anxiety and other due to
hives/vomiting
• Oral food challenges with peanut were conducted in
all 29 patients after they were on OIT for 12-24
months
• Total dose tolerated = 3.9 grams of peanut protein
~16 peanuts
Jones SM, et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2009; 124: 292-300.
Desensitization or Tolerance
• Increased daily dose to 4000 grams of
peanut
• Patients who passed oral food challenges
increased daily dose to 19 peanuts/day
• After 2-3 years on treatment-tolerance
studies were performed
• Discontinued therapy for 4 weeks and rechallenged
• Only 41% passed (were tolerant to peanut)
New England Food Allergy
Treatment Center (NEFATC)
• Facility in West Hartford designed for
treating food allergies by oral
immunotherapy
• Staff of physicians, nurses, a pharmacist
experienced in food allergy management
• Treatment focused with upmost concern for
safety and comfort of patients/families
Goal of Therapy (NEFATC)
• Clinical desensitization to peanut
• Creating a ‘safety net’
• Minimize the likelihood of an allergic
reaction upon accidental ingestion
• Substantially improve quality of life as
measured for children, adolescents, and
parents perception of their children
Peanut OIT Protocol at NEFATC
 Dose escalation, build-up, home maintenance
phases (use peanut flour, measured with high
precision scale)
 Initial day, 5-6 hours, IV inserted, 0.1 mg (1/2000
peanut) increased every ½ hour to 6 mg dose
 Return every 2 weeks for build-up dose
 Ingest highest tolerated dose given daily at home
 Dosage goal = 450 mg/day of peanut (2-3 peanuts)
 Time to reach maximum dose approximately 5-6
months, depending on patient/symptoms
Experience to Date: NEFATC
 140 peanut allergic patients have been enrolled
 Largest population of PN-allergic patients
currently receiving OIT
 Ages 4-24 yrs
 Many with severe allergy (by history), also serum
IgE levels to peanut >100 kU/L in 40% patients
 Seventy-five patients have reached maintenance
dose of 3 peanut M and M’s daily
Peanut OIT: Adverse Effects
• GI upset, mostly lower doses , often hours
after dose, also itchy throat common
• Often requires cutting back on dose and
desensitizing using very low dose to start
• Several have had to discontinue due to
persistent symptoms (5 patients)
• Systemic reactions on home maintenance
have occurred- uncommon but unexplained,
possibly concurrent illness
Effects of Food Allergies
on Quality of Life
• Food allergies have a significant impact on
quality of life
• Measures of general health, emotional
impact and limitation on family activities
• Impairment greater than children of similar
age with a diagnosis of diabetes
• Validated questionnaires have been
developed and used as measures to assess
the benefits of interventions
Quality of life results:
Parents perception of children
• Less anxious about food, going to new
places and to restaurants
• Less concerned they will have a reaction
• Less physical and emotional distress
• Feel safer when going to vacation
destinations
• Less concerned about being left out
Quality of Life: Children
• Less frightened of eating wrong food by
accident or eating something never tried
• Less disappointed because of having a food
allergy or when others don’t take seriously
• Les concerned that they will never get rid of
food allergy
• Less troublesome over limitations in buying
foods they like
Quality of Life : Adolescents
• Less concerned about reading labels, and
refusing treats at school or work
• Are able to eat more foods and
spontaneously accept an invitation to go out
for a meal with friends
• Less frightened about eating the wrong food
or having an allergic reaction (needing
EpiPen)
Who are candidates for
desensitization?
• History of peanut allergic reaction and
elevated serum IgE to peanut and/or large
skin test result
• Even if not ‘very concerned’ now, measures
of QoL tell another story
• Pre-adolescents and high school students
• Anyone with as peanut allergy because we
have shown safety and efficacy (if only for
piece of mind)
Allergen Specific OIT: Milk
• Cow’s milk allergy most common and affects 23% of population
• Majority outgrow allergy by age 3 years, but more
have persistent allergy and tolerance in teens
• High levels of specific IgE to milk associated with
a lower likelihood of out-growing allergy
• OIT has been effective for milk, but adverse
events are common 35-60% , some severe
• Severity of reactions greatest on initial days
and least when high doses reached (risk of EoE)
Allergen Specific OIT: Egg
• Resolution of allergy, takes longer-4% by 4
yrs, 37% by 10 yrs, 68% by 16 years
• Children with serum IgE >50, unlikely to
develop tolerance
• OIT to egg was shown to be successful in a
small number of patients with a history of
allergy
• Adverse effects-common
Peanut Oral Immunotherapy
Generally Safe but not w/o Risk
• Should be performed in a facility designed
primarily for these procedures
• Trained staff (one to one) with keen knowledge of
food allergies and management of reactions
• Equipment, emergency medications and
procedures in place
• Utilize experience of others to assist in
developing similar and safer protocols
Unanswered Questions
•
•
•
•
•
What is the optimal dose of PN immunotherapy ?
What is the ideal duration of treatment?
How to determine degree of protection provided?
Factors leading to inducing tolerance (cure)?
Efficacy for different ages, severity and type of
food allergy?
• Why are GI symptoms common and how can we
prevent them?
Is oral immunotherapy a treatment option that
will eventually become a standard of care?
• Yes, but more experience necessary to
understand causes of adverse reactions
• Clear benefit in psychosocial impact due to
food allergy on patients and families
• Patients are very motivated to come in for
visits and maintain daily treatment
• Potential for tolerance induction (cure) in
some
What the experts think…
• “When performed by experienced investigators
in an appropriate setting, peanut OIT is a safe,
allergen-specific therapy effective in inducing
desensitization and providing protection
against accidental ingestion with ongoing
therapy”
Varshay P.,Jones SM, Scurlock AM, et al. J
Allergy Clin Immunol 2011;127:654-60
Getting more information
• Speak to parents/patients who are going thru
the process at this time (we can help facilitate)
• Call NEFATC-talk to staff and physicians
about the treatment(860) 986-6099
• See website: www.nefoodallergy.org and
Facebook
• Visit our Center: 836 Farmington Avenue,
Suite 138, West Hartford, CT
• Review the literature
Food Allergies in Schools
• Food reactions are not rare in schools/day cares
• 16% of children with a food allergy will
experience an allergic reaction
• Almost 25% of Peanut/nut allergic reactions
occurred in school/day care before a diagnosis
made
• A survey of anaphylaxis in school showed
epinephrine was necessary in many children
without any prior experience of food allergy
Contact reactions from
peanut: an issue?
• Soap and water removes peanut protein
from hands and surfaces
• Hand sanitizers/dishwashing liquid alone do
not
• Peanut protein relatively easy to clean with
conventional cleaning methods
• Contact exposure can be prevented and
typically not a significant risk at schools
Myths: Inhalant and contact
exposure
• Allergic reactions to foods are immunologic
responses to protein allergens
• Odors are neurologic responses triggered by
organic compounds
• Study: 30 children w/ severe peanut allergy had
an inhalation challenge for 15 minutes
• None had an reactions
• Also, after applying peanut butter to the skin for
10 minutes -occasional local redness, there were
no systemic reactions
Should peanuts be banned
in schools?
• No controlled studies have been done on subject
so subject to individual judgment
• Milk resulted in more allergic reactions per capita
than peanut or other nuts
• Peanut-free tables, isolate, ostracize, create more
anxiety and do not mimic the real world
• 79% of food reactions occurred in classroom, only
12% occurred in cafeteria
• Classroom projects with peanut butter a concern
• PN protein not found in the school air even
when peanut butter was consumed in the
Problems exist in recognition and
management at schools
• Deficiencies exist nationally in protocols
for managing food anaphylaxis
• Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) in place
only 33% of cases
• During a reaction, plans when present, were
frequently not followed
• In a survey of parents/school personnel, of
the students who had food anaphylaxis 14%
had no physician orders
Recognizing/treating reactions
• According to national peanut/tree nut registry,
gaps in care exist in recognizing and treating
anaphylaxis in schools
• In 32% cases of food anaphylaxis in schools ,
symptoms of an allergic reaction were not
recognized
• Where trained personnel know what to do, there
often were no trained back-up staff
• Only 26% with a history of an allergic reaction to
a food had epinephrine available
Management in Schools
• Everyone makes mistakes
• Accidents are never planned
• All children must have a food allergy
treatment form or EAP which reviews
symptoms and treatment of anaphylaxis
• Review your emergency action plans regularly
• Educate others on what to do in case you
need their help or are not available
Referral for Food Allergy Evaluation
•
•
•
•
•
•
History of severe reactions to any food
Atopic dermatitis that may be food related
Allergy to peanut, tree nuts, fish, shellfish
Unexplained episode(s) of anaphylaxis
Clarifying status of food allergic patient
The patient with multiple food allergies for
nutritional guidance
• Intervention: Oral immunotherapy
Conclusions
• Prevalence of food allergy has increased in recent
years for peanut and other foods
• More severe reactions/anaphylaxis observed
• Recognizing risks at schools: separating fact from
fiction
• Understanding anaphylaxis and optimal treatment
can be improved
• Oral immunotherapy is an effective treatment for
peanut and other food allergies and substantially
improves quality of life
References
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Lack, G. NEJM 2008;359:1252-60.
Sicherer, SH, Burks, AW, JACI 2008;122
Lemon-Mule, H, et.al., JACI 2008;122:977-83
Sicherer, SH, Burks, AW, JACI, (in press)
Burks, AW, AAAAI Mtg 2009 (Lecture)
Longo, G, et.al., JACI 2008;121:343-7
Clark A., Annals of Allergy (in press)
Jones, SM, AAAAI Mtg. 2009 (Lecture)
Keet CA, and Woods, RA, Immun Aller.
Clin. Of NA, /2007:27 (2)
• Du Toit, et. al., JACI 2008;122:984-91
• Lack, G. JACI 2008;121.
• Sampson, HA, AAAAI Mtg 2009 (Lecture)